The Masquerade
by Steven Mullahy
Summary: A short story that I had to write for english class. I hope you enjoy the story as mush as i enjoyed writing it. Please feel free to critique it. However please be nice, if you have nothing nice to say then I DONT WANNA FREAKIN HEAR IT!


Steven Mullahy

The Masquerade

"Zack, ZACK!" someone screamed. Zack immediately woke up and wiped the drool from his face. Blurred at first, Zack finally made a clear picture of what he was looking at, his boss.

"This is the forth time you've fked up damn it your fired! Clear out your desk by 6!" Zack didn't expect any less. And as his prior boss kept ranting about how much of a slacker he was Zack's boss didn't even realize that Zack had reached for his coffee cup. The next thing the boss realizes is that he is wearing coffee all over his white shirt.

"I've wanted to say this to you for a very long time." "KISS MY ASS! YOU MOTHER FUCKER!!! I'm out of here!" Zack proudly stated and left to get boxes to clean out his desk. It took Zack a total of an hour and a half to clean out his belongings. For the past year Zack's former company, Genix, a company dedicated to the study of diseases and epidemics had had Zack working on classifying all the former forms of the disease known as AIDS. Zack would put them under all sorts of classifications and list the symptoms and facts about each form of the mutated disease. Zack would then accumulate all of this data into presentations that his boss would then give so they might get a grant for further research into the splicing of the virus itself.

Zack was then walking out of the office. Leaving his cubicle, a virtual prison all in itself, behind him and moving on into the world of a free man, the only thing stopping him was a couple of doors, an elevator shaft of about twenty floors, and to check out at the desk. As Zack approached the desk his body was just coming off of the adrenaline rush of getting off every ounce of stress that this life ever put on him. Zack approached the desk put his box down and then gladly handed over his access card. Zack then picked up his box and then as he backed up he hit the UPS delivery guy causing him to drop his box labeled fragile.

"Hey watch it man this shit is expensive!" said the UPS guy. Zack just looked at him with a face of complete carelessness and then headed for the doors. Although Zack had just gotten fired he saw the world around him with a new beauty. And before he called a cab to head home Zack did something he could never do while working for Genix. He walked to 4th street and main, and there on the corner he bought himself a hot dog said to be the best in all of Raid City.

"Sarah I'm home!" Zack called as he entered his apartment. He went to the kitchen and no one was there. "Sarah?" he called once more. Zack then went to the living room, no one there. And then Zack went to the bedroom and there Zack found his wife asleep in bed appearing so peaceful and serine. Zack then went back to the living room and turned on the television, about five minutes later he heard his wife stepping into the shower. About thirty minutes later Sarah came out of the shower in her bathrobe and headed for the kitchen. To her surprise she looked in the living room to see her husband watching TV.

"You're home early." She said and then started making eggs for breakfast. She suddenly felt Zack come up behind her and put his arms around her waist.

"What are you doing here your not in till late." Sarah stated and then added eggs for herself and Zack into the frying pan.

"I took the day off to spend the day with you." Zack said and then Sarah tilted her head back and Zack gently kissed her on the lips.

"Since I'm getting the eggs ready you think you can set the table?" Sarah asked.

"Sure, what do you want to drink, orange juice?" Zack replied. Sarah nodded and Zack went to the cupboard and took out the two glasses and two plates. He then went to one of he drawer to retrieve the silverware. He then set it all up on the table and then went to the refrigerator and got the juice. As the two sat down to eat they conversed hon what they had planned to do for the day. They both agreed to go to the park and then go see a movie. The day was as perfect as the weather was, 72 degrees with little breeze. That is according to the news forecaster who could be heard from the TV in the living room.

The next morning Zack was woken up by Sarah with a look of utmost concern.

"You better come look at this, it's bad." She said and then headed for the living room. Zack got up and followed in after her. There the two of then stood in front of the T.V. while listening to what the reporter had to say.

"Last night an explosion occurred in the Genix building. Along with the explosion people that were working in the building have now become infected with a highly contagious disease that seems to be a sped up version of the AIDS epidemic fused with what appears to be tuberculosis. The floor of the explosion unfortunately there were no survivors. The now highly contagious people that were in the Genix building are being contained and are being rushed to seek medical attention."

"How long has this been on?" Zack asked.

"Since this morning it's the only thing that's on." Sarah said. Zack turned away and went and got a shower. Coming back dressed in a suit he sat himself down to eat some breakfast in the kitchen when the reporter came back on.

"This just in, the virus has now begun to infect the people of the public. This disease is extremely fatal. From what scientist have discovered the disease is transmittable by coming in contact with an infected member's blood or bodily fluids. This epidemic is currently being contained in the city. Military forces have created a barrier around the borders of the city to keep the virus from spreading."

Zack then turned off the television. He scanned his surroundings and realized he was alone. Thoughts surged through his brain. And the only thing Zack could seem to think of was his wife and his unborn child. He got on a coat and headed out to find them.

On the sidewalk Zack stood thinking to himself where would Sarah have gone. He started looking in the usual places; Sarah was nowhere to be found. He then started home to call the police. As Zack started to enter the apartment there was Sarah.

"Sarah! Where the hell have you been?" Zack yelled.

"Zack please don't I'm so sorry." Sarah started to cry. She then started backing away from Zack with a look of complete horror.

"What's wrong Sarah what happened?" Zack said.

"I was going shopping and then there was this large crowd in front of this barrier. Guys from the army were telling them all to head back home. Suddenly this man had like a seizure and started coughing up blood. I tried to help him but he then just died." She said. Zack suddenly froze with horror.

"Did you get any blood on you?" Zack seriously stated.

"Yes but I went to the bathroom and washed it off, why?" Sarah asked.

In an airbase in Texas a meeting had been taking place. Officials and national security sat at a table in an office discussing the actions that should be taken.

"The virus seems to be growing faster than we had expected. It hit the barriers within 15 hours. There have been no survivors after becoming infected. We are initiating code white at 900 hours. The cover up is a local power plant had a melt down. Now gentlemen the tricky part is covering up the news that has already gotten out to the public but I trust that you will think of something. This is it people the clock starts now, meeting adjourned." The head official simply stated and walked away. No questions asked the men simply acted as they were ordered.

Zack looked down at his watch. It read 6:30, he then looked up at Sarah, whom after being informed of the news that Zack had heard, looked absolutely terrified.

"Come on we have to get you to a hospital, fast!" Zack said. Within thirty minutes the two were at the hospital and were shocked with the sight they saw. At least 200 people were banging on the doors of a locked hospital. The people started to get violent as the mob took a park bench and started to break the barricade to what the people thought was a safe haven. Zack looked at Sarah and Sarah looked back and they knew there was no hope for them. Sarah then made the decision of instead of going home the couple would enjoy their last moments together in the park where they had walked the day before. Along the way death and havoc reigned throughout the streets. They then made it into the park. It seemed as if the park was the only paradise in the whole city. There was no death no havoc just simply peace as the stars began to appear in the night's sky. Taking the same path they took the day before they tried not to think of what was to come and tried to remember the last day of what peace seemed to be.

Then it happened, as the two walked by the fountain Sarah coughed up blood and started to convulse violently. Zack holding her in his arms as this horrible act took place. With words to try and comfort her passing the last thing Sarah heard was "I love you." Zack looked down upon the corpse of his beautiful wife. He wiped off the blood from the corner of her mouth knowing fully the consequence of his action. He looked down at his watch that read 8:57. He held Sarah stroking her cheek and smiling and then gently kissed her on forehead. Just then the sound of jets flew over the city the next thing that followed was a blinding white light. That was the last thing Zack ever saw, for the tactical nuke hit the heart of the city. The bomb destroyed everything that night lives, homes, and the disease. The next day the cover up was administered as plan and no one knew of what really happened. The government simply stated that it was a tragic accident.


End file.
